ENTERTAINMENT

Four blasts in and around Baghdad killed at least three people and wounded 16 Wednesday, police said.

Violence has persisted in recent days in the lead-up to Iraq's provincial elections scheduled for Saturday.

Wednesday's attacks included a car bombing of an Iraqi army convoy, a car bombing near a police station, a roadside bomb that struck a politician's convoy and another roadside bomb, police say.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad released a statement Tuesday condemning the ongoing violence, some of which has targeted people running for office.

"These attacks have killed more than a dozen candidates and injured many others." the statement said. "Such terrorist acts are a cowardly and unacceptable attempt to undermine Iraq's democracy and a desperate effort to intimidate Iraqis and deter them from participating in the democratic process."